The present invention is directed to rotary apparatuses, and is disclosed below as a rotary engine useable as a combustion engine. In particular, the present invention is directed toward an improved valving system for intake and/or exhaust.
Rotary or planetary rotary engines include multiple rotors rotating about parallel rotor axes in the same direction and at the same speed in relative planetary motion. A planetary rotary engine is built using at least three, and typically four, elliptical shaped rotors rotating synchronously on parallel shafts. Both two-stroke and four-stroke planetary rotary engines may be provided with intake, compression, power, and exhaust phases being defined by relative rotor position during rotation. Various rotary engine configurations are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,097,881, 2,410,341, 3,809,026, 3,439,654, 6,139,290, and 6,224,358.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,585 discloses a planetary rotary engine having a charge compression system, as well as alternative embodiments for rotary valves. In an embodiment there disclosed, the combustion or inner chamber is formed by four rotors themselves with the stack of valve plate, bearing plate and end plate, moving from closest to furthest from the inner chamber, serving as an end seal on either side. The outer chamber(s) are formed by the rotors and their housing along with the above intake and exhaust side plate stacks. The rotary valves comprise two or more cut-out arcuate disks per valve in which the arcuate cuts of the two disks per valve overlap to form a rotating intake or exhaust port. Depending on the amount of overlap this rotating port has a characteristic butterfly shape. During intake or exhaust the port connects an associated intake or exhaust manifold on one side of the two disks with passages leading to the central chamber on the other side. Both the port's effective size/duration and the timing of when it is open for intake or exhaust can be varied dynamically under computer control using various disclosed techniques.